Navaraatri Vrat Katha

Once Brihaspati Dev and Brahma Dev were having some conversation when Brihaspati Dev asked Brahma Dev that “Please tell me why Navratri fast is observed and Navratri is observed during the Shukla Paksha of Chaitra and Ashwin months? What are its benefits to humans?” What is this fast and how should it be observed? Please explain in detail? Hearing this profound question of Brihaspati Dev, Brahma Dev replied, “O Brihaspati Dev, you have asked a question which is highly beneficial for all living beings. In fact, those who contemplate Durga, Mahadev, Surya and Narayana with devotion are blessed with their wishes. All wishes are fulfilled by this fast. This fast has the power to fulfill all wishes. Those who wish for a son get a son, those who wish for wealth get prosperity, those who wish for knowledge get knowledge and those who wish for happiness get happiness. Moreover, this fast has the ability to heal the ailments of the sick. It removes all troubles, brings prosperity to homes and blesses married women with a son. It frees individuals from their sins and fulfills their heart’s desires. On the contrary, those who are negligent in observing this Navratri fast often find themselves suffering from sorrow, suffering, illness, childlessness, poverty and deprivation. They wander aimlessly, are tormented by hunger and thirst and lose their sense of purpose. As for virtuous women who do not observe this fast, they may experience a lack of marital happiness and face many hardships. If one is unable to observe the fast for the entire day, they should eat once a day and listen to the story of Navratri Vrat with their loved ones for ten days. “O Brihaspati Dev! Allow me to narrate the story of a person who observed this great fast in the past. Listen to the story carefully. Thus, after listening to the words of Brahma Dev, Brihaspati Dev replied, 'O Brahma Dev, you are the well-wisher of humanity, please explain the history of this fast. I am listening carefully and want your guidance and blessings. Brahma Deva then began to narrate the tale, ‘In ancient times, there lived an orphan Brahmin named Peethat in the city of Manohara Nagar. He was a devoted worshipper of Bhagawati Durga. To him was born a girl named Sumati of extraordinary beauty and virtue. Every day, when her father worshipped Durga and performed household rituals, Sumati faithfully joined in. However, one day, when she was engrossed in playing with her friends, she missed the worship of Bhagawati. Her father, upset with his daughter’s negligence, scolded her, saying, ‘O wicked daughter! Today you neglected the worship of Bhagawati, for this I will marry you to a leper or a poor man. On hearing her father’s words, Sumati was filled with sorrow and said, ‘O father! I am your daughter and am completely devoted to your will. You may marry me to any king, wrestler, pauper, leper or poor person you think fit. Nevertheless, whatever is destined for me will happen. I firmly believe that one gets results in accordance with one’s actions, for when human beings act, the results are controlled by the divine.’ On hearing his daughter Sumati say this, the brahmin became angry and in a fit of rage he quickly married his daughter to a leper. And the brahmin shouted, “Go and enjoy the fruits of your actions and see the result of your dependence on fate.” Faced with such harsh words from her father, Sumati silently thought, “Oh, what a misfortune it is to have such a husband.” Immersed in her sad thoughts, Sumati went with her husband to the forest, where they spent a night full of hardships in the dreadful, desolate forest of dense grass. Seeing the plight of the unfortunate girl, the goddess Bhagawati, impressed by Sumati’s past virtues, appeared before her and said, “O helpless brahmin lady! I am pleased with your devotion. You can ask for any boon you wish.” Hearing these words of goddess Durga, the brahmini asked, “Please tell me your identity.” The Goddess replied, “I am the incarnation of Adi Shakti Bhagawati, Brahmavidya and Saraswati. When I am satisfied, I alleviate the suffering of sentient beings and bestow happiness on them. “O helpless Brahmin lady! I have come to you because of your pious deeds of your previous life. To this Sumati said, “O Goddess Bhagawati you tell me about my previous life, then listen carefully. In your previous life, you were the wife of a Nishad (Bhil) and you had unwavering loyalty towards your husband. One unfortunate day, your husband committed theft, due to which both of you were captured and imprisoned by the soldiers. While being in captivity, you were deprived of food and water, even during the days of Navaratri. In this way, you kept a fast for nine days, abstaining from both food and water. Impressed by the effect of the fast you had observed in those days, I have now come to grant you a boon. Ask for whatever your heart desires. Hearing the words of Goddess Bhagawati, Sumati pleaded with folded hands, “Goddess Bhagawati, if you are really pleased with me, I humbly bow before you and pray you to cure my husband’s leprosy.” In response, Goddess Bhagawati humbly replied, “Offer the merit of one day gained from the fast you observed during those days to alleviate your husband’s leprosy. By the power of that merit, your husband will be relieved of his suffering.” Brahma Deva further said, “Sumati, pleased to hear the words of Goddess Bhagawati and her mind filled with the desire to cure her husband, devoutly uttered ‘Tathastu’. With that utterance, her husband’s body became free from leprosy and health glowed. Seeing the transformed and beautiful form of her Brahmin husband, she began to praise the Goddess and said, ‘O Goddess Bhagawati! You are the remover of sufferings. O Divine Mother, who removes the troubles of the three worlds, removes all sorrows, heals the weak, grants desired boons when pleased, and destroys the wicked. O Amba! My father abandoned me and married me to a man suffering from leprosy. I was despised and forsaken by my own father and wandered in this desolate forest. It is you, O Goddess, who has saved me from this calamity, I bow to you. Hearing Sumati's words, Goddess Bhagawati was very pleased and prophesied, 'O Sumati! At the appropriate time, you will give birth to a son named Udalaya, who will be exceptionally intelligent, wealthy, and courageous.' After this divine blessing, Goddess Bhagawati once again addressed Sumati and said, 'O Sumati! Ask for whatever you desire.' Hearing these words of Goddess Bhagawati, Sumati humbly requested, 'O Goddess Bhagawati! If you have mercy on me, please provide me with a detailed description of the method of Navratri fasting and its fruits.” She further said, “After performing regular fasting and puja, make idols of Goddess Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati and offer flowers and prasad. Offering arghya to special fruits brings special blessings: Bijoura gives beauty, nutmeg gives fame, grapes gives success, amla gives happiness and banana gives ornaments. On the ninth day, at the end of the fast, perform havan as per the rituals after offering arghya with flowers and fruits.” Goddess Bhagawati further said, “Perform havan using materials like sugar, ghee, wheat, honey, barley, sesame, bilva leaves, coconut, grapes and kadamba flowers. Offering wheat in the havan brings Lakshmi, kheer and champa flowers bring wealth and bael leaves bring happiness. Amla brings fame, bananas bring progeny, lotus flowers bring royal honours.” “A person offering sugar, ghee, coconut, honey, barley, sesame and fruits in the havan gets all his desired results. The person observing this fast should follow the procedure carefully, give dakshina to the officiating priest and thank him for the successful completion of the yagna.” “Whoever observes this Navaratri fast as prescribed, all his desires will be fulfilled without a doubt. Any charitable act done during these nine days will yield many times the result. By observing this Navaratri fast, you will gain merit equal to those who perform an Ashwamedha yagna. O Sumati, observe this great fast, it fulfills all desires, whether you are at a holy pilgrimage site, in a temple, or within the confines of your home. Upon Sumati's request, Goddess Bhagwati said, "O Sumati! I will explain the procedure of Navratri fasting, a sacred ritual that destroys all sins committed by man and leads to salvation. Fast for nine consecutive days starting from the Pratipada of the Shukla Paksha of the month of Ashwin, as per my method. If you cannot fast for the whole day, then eat one meal a day. Take guidance from learned Brahmins and build a sacred pot and set up a garden, which should be watered with devotion every day." Having said this, Lord Brahma said, "O Brihaspati Dev! Having thus explained the method and fruits of this fast to Sumati, Goddess Bhagwati disappeared from there. Whoever observes this fast, be it a man or a woman, with unwavering devotion, not only attains happiness but also attains the rarest form of salvation in this world. O Brihaspati Dev, this is the extraordinary glory of Navratri fast that I have presented to you. Hearing this, Brihaspati Dev was extremely pleased and he addressed Brahma Dev and said, “O Brahma Dev! You have done a great favour to me by telling me the importance of this Navratri fast. On this, Brahma Dev proceeded further and said, “O Brihaspati Dev! Goddess Bhagwati is the nurturer of the entire universe. She punishes the wicked and grants the desired fruits to the devotees. And who can really understand this Mahadevi? Let us pay our respects to Goddess Bhagwati with devotion.